Garter construction



Oct. 20, 1931.

W. HAMACHER GARTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 19, 1931 war Patented Get. 20, 1931 WILHELM EAMACHER, OI BERLIN-WILMEBSDORF, GERMANY GAB/I'm CONSTRUCTION Application filed January 19, 1931, lerial No. 509,828, and in Germany July 22, 1930.

The present invention relates to an improvement in that portion of a garter or garment-holding device which serves to fasten the same to a stocking or hose, and partlcu- LQ larl y to the means employed for assuring the successful fastening of said stocking or hose, while at the same time providing simple and rapid means for disengaging the holding portion of the device from the hose, stocking,

1 or arment.

ne of the objects of the invention is to provide a garter construction in which the holding device consists of a single, unitary structure or base-plate of metal or plastic material,

preferably the latter, provided with suitable openings for insertion of the limb-encircling or suspensory portion of the garter and for the insertion o fastening means COIIlPllSlIlg a shanked button made of resilient material,

said button being held to the base-plate by means of a string, elastic, chain, or their equivalents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garter fastener consisting of a stamping of plastic material provided with at least three holes, one serving for the limb-encircling or suspensory means, one for retaining the string or its equivalent attached to the retaining button, and a larger,-preferably oval,opening for holding a portion of the garment to be held while wrapped about the shanked retaining button.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the further description herelatter forms a part of the present application.

The usual and well known stocking and garment holders of various construction frequently suffer from the defect that the article of wearing apparel to be held thereby very readily becomes loosened from the holding device or garter, thereby producing rather embarassing situations, and in the prior art devices the manipulation of the device and the insertion of the garment to be held is too complicated, unhandy and requires too long a time; or else the device of the prior art, even through suitable for this purpose, is too clumsy, and therefore interferes with its ininbelow, the claims, and the drawings, which tended use, and is more or less disturbing to the wearer; or else its structure is so complicated that its cost of manufacture is too great to allow it to be sold at prices commensurate with the wide utility of such an article.

These defects are overcome by the present invention, as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

In the drawings herewith submitted there are shown, in diagrammatic form, several exco emplifications of the present invention. the drawings;

Figure l is a plan view of one modification 'of the device covering the subject-matter of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing one phase of the operation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to that of Fig. 2, showing the final position of the device;

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views; and

Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are elevational views with modifications of the fastening or button portion of the device while Figures 10 and 11, respectively, are plan views of the modified portions of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, it will be seen that the device comprises a supporting plate 1 made of suitable material such, for example, as metal, celluloid, rubber, or similar plastics and the like, being provided with a longitudinally oval opening 2 and with a slot 8 in which there may be inserted a suspensory member 9, which latter, however, does not form a part of the present invention. There is also provided a button 3 having a stem or shank 4, the head of said button being of greater diameter than the smaller diameter of the oval opening 2, this button being preferably circular,the shank 4 also being cir cular but of lesser diameter than that of the button 3. It is preferable that this button be made of a single piece of material, but the invention is not limited to such construction. This button is provided with a central opening 10, in which there is inserted a small piece of metal or plastic material 11 such as an eyelet, which serves to clamp a string 12, which latter is' inserted through openings 13 and 14 plate 1.

As is best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the demos is used as follows:

The fabric 15, comprising the arment to provided in the main portion of the be held by means of the device, is rst placed the shank is inserted together with the material wrapped thereabout into the opening 2, whereby the shank 4: will prevent the material from becoming loosened when there is a downward pull (in the sense of the drawings) upon the material.

An important feature of the construction is that the shank 4 of the button 3 is almost of the same diameter as the lesser diameter of the oval opening 2, allowing just suflicient space for the proper clamping of the material 15 between the walls of the plate 1, surrounding the opening 2, and the outer peri hery of the shank 4.

en the material is in the position shown in Fig. 3, there is no possibility of the fabric being withdrawn or the button to become loosened.

The loosening of the garment, stockin or hose from the device is also accomplished with extreme ease and simplicity, and can actually be done with one hand, being accomplished as follows: The inner surface of the thumbof one hand is laid lightly against the periphery of the button 3 at the point indicated by the reference numeral 5, while the tip of the index finger of the same hand seizes the periphery of the button 3 at the point indicated by the reference numeral 6, the latter operation being rendered more facile by having the plate 1 provided with a cut-away ortion 7 near the bottom thereof, as shown 1n Figs. 1, 10, and 11. This combined action of the thumb and index finger tips the button into a position substantially the reverse of that shown in Fig. 2, and then, by merely pushing the button back through the opening 2, the button as well as the material will be released.

In this respect, the present construction is superior to any garter construction of similar simplicity, and by reason of the fact that the plate 1 may be stamped out of such plastic materials as celluloid, or molded out ofv material from phenolic resin products, it is possible to turn out these parts in enormous quantities on mass production basis, fully provided with all necessary openings, at an extremely low price.

The present invention is sharply distinguished from constructions which at first sight may appear as being similar, as, for example, device shown in German Patents leged to exist in the said Nos. 252,868 and 434,208. The novelty alpatents was merely predicated on means employed therein to prevent the passing of the button through a. cooperating opening in a plate of material somewhat similar to that shown in the present invention, but in these patents the button does not have a shank which would grasp the material, so that it was necessary to provide a hook or detent upon the plate to prevent the button from prematurel disengaging itself from the material. T e molding of a plate with such a hook attached, particularly when plastic materials are used, is virtually impossible, and even in the case of metal is troublesome and expensive. Furthermore, the hook or detent projects outwardly from the main surface of the plate and, therefore, is liable to catch upon the other garments worn by the user of these devices, which is particularly objectionable and which is one of the difficulties which the present invention completel overcomes.

The button 3 and the s ank 4 of the present invention are preferably, but not necessarily, made of soft rubber, being of one piece. The button is provided with a central opening 10, preferably, although not necessarily, reamed or enlarged at the upper surface of the button. Through this opening the string 12 is inserted after having first been drawn through the two openings 13 and 14 in the plate 1. After passing the string through the opening 10 of the button, there is attached to the end of the string a smaller plastic or metal button or eyelet 11 which is larger than the opening 10 and preferably so formed as to fit the reamed recess in the button. This recess is best seen in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, being shown in dotted lines thereon and bearing the reference numeral 20. All that'is then necessary is to pull the string downward through the opening 10 to seat the smaller button or fastener into its recess, and the assembl of the device is completed.

Another particular advantage inherent in the present device is the fact that the shank, by clamping the material 15 against the walls of the plate 1, also prevents loosening of the garment, stocking, or hose when walking or running about, thus providing greater safety and convenience, which is particularly advantageous when the device is worn by young and active children.

In order to secure a still better retention of the garment, hose, or stocking, the button 3 may be provided with a serrated edge, as shown in Fig. 4, or a scalloped edge as shown in Fig. 5. As a further measure of safety, the buttons themselves may have variously shaped shanks instead of a straight shank; for example, the shapes shown in Figs. 6,

made of the opening 2, as shown in Figs.

10 and 11, where it is, respectively, serrated and scalloped.

The manufacture of this device is extremely simple and inexpensive, sothat it presents great commercial utility and represents a decided advance in this intrinsicallyv old art, in which but little advance has been made within the last thirty years. Without limiting the device any further than as set forth in the description hereinabove and in the light of the prior art, the following claims to the invention are made, and protection of United States Letters Patent therefor is solicited.

I claim:

1. A fabric-supporting clamping device 4 comprising the combination of a substantially fiat body-plate provided with an oval opening therein and a cut-away portion at one end thereof, garment-grasping means comprising a button of such size that it may be pushed through said opening when tilted to a position wherein the side of the button is in alignment with the larger diameter thereof, a shank on said button having a diameter very slightly smaller than the smaller diameter of the oval opening, and means loosely connecting said button with said body-plate.

2. A fabric-supporting clamping device comprising the combination of a substantially flat non-metallic body-plate provided with an oval opening therein as well as with a slot at one end and a cut-away portion at the other end and having two holes intermediate of said slot and oval opening, a soft rubber button of a height smaller than the width of said oval opening provided with a shank, the head of said button being circular and having a diameter slightly smaller than the larger diameter of the said oval opening while the shank has a diameter slightly smaller than the lesser diameter of the oval opening, said button and shank having a longitudinal central opening therein, and means that pass both through the o ening in said buttonand through the two ho es loosely connectingsaid button and body-plate.

3. A fabric-supporting clamping device comprising the combination of a flat non metallic body-plate provided with a slot at one end and a cut-away portion at the other end as well as with an oval opening near the cut-away portion and a plurality of holes near the said slot, a shanked button provided with a longitudinal passage therein leading into a recess in the head of said button, filamentous connecting means passing through said holes and through the passage in said button,- and means attached to the end of the filamentous means where they pass through said button to prevent retraction of said filamentous means, said preventing-means lying,

within said recess.

4. A fabric-supporting clampin device metallic plate provided with a slot at one end and a substantially oval opening at the other end as well as with two small openings intermediate of said slot and oval opening and also with a cut-away portion at the end opposite that of the slot, means for clamping a piece of 'fabricwithin said oval opening comprising a' shanked button of a height smaller than the Width of said oval opening whose head is slightly smaller than the greater diameter of the oval opening and the diameter of whose shank is slightly smaller than the lesser diameter of said oval opening, whereby when the button when surrounded by the fabric to be clamped is pushed through said opening and the head of the button is then aligned with the surface of the plate and on the application of stresses to said fabric the shank of the button will be tightly clamped in said oval opening whereby undesired retraction of said button through said opening is prevented.

5. In a fabric-clamping device of the type described, a shanked soft-material button provided with a longitudinal central passage, a recessed head, a filamentous fabric passing through said passage, a smaller button attached to the end of said fabric which latter button lies within the recess of the shanked button.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub;

scribed my name.

WILHELM HAMACHER. 

